Review Blog

Dec 11 2015

Monsters by Emerald Fennell

Hot Key Books, 2015. ISBN 9781471404627
(Age: 16+) Recommended for people who like dark thrillers. Murder.
Horror. Abuse. In the idyllic Cornish town of Fowey, the body of a
young woman is found in fishing nets to the horror of the
townspeople, but the delight of the young 12 year old girl who is
obsessed with reading about murders. When Miles Giffard comes to the
hotel where she is staying with her aunt and uncle, they begin to
investigate and sneak out of the hotel to play out murder scenes.
Then another murder is committed and even though someone is arrested
they are certain he is not the murderer.
The horror of the events are a stark contrast to the picture perfect
town of Fowey, where Daphne du Maurier once lived, and readers may
well be encouraged to pick up her novels to find out about them. The
suspense of who is killing off young women will keep mystery
aficionados enthralled, and a terrifying conclusion could well lead
to nightmares in this compulsive read.
Although narrated in often a comic and heart-rending way by a 12
year old girl and with a cover that could indicate it is for a young
adult audience, this is not a story for young teens. There are many
dark themes, including child abuse and neglect on one hand with the
young narrator and on the other hand a mother pandering and
over-indulging the young boy, Miles, who is not allowed to behave
like a normal 12 year old boy. Indeed all the adults in the novel
are either monsters or highly unlikeable but so well described that
they come alive on the page. Uncle Frederick would be one of the
most horrible characters I have read about for a long time, while
Jean the long term boarder at the hotel, Winny the hotel maid and
Miles' mother are also detestable. The down trodden Aunt Maria and
Dorothea, Jean's companion elicit some sympathy from the reader. The
narrator pulls at the heart strings - she has been orphaned in a
horrible way, is unloved and unwanted, but highly intelligent and
needy. Miles too has not been fortunate, with a needy mother who
hasn't given him a normal home.
Readers will learn much about manipulation and power plays while
being taken on a roller coaster ride of murder and corruption.
Pat Pledger